Salt Smarts

Eating too much salt is one cause of high blood pressure, which can cause heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. One in every three Americans has high blood pressure, according to the
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

Many people believe that if they don't use the salt shaker at the dinner table, they are safe. But the average American consumes 6,000 milligrams of salt each day-and that's before touching the salt shaker, says Sharon Jacob, a registered dietitian with Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. "You only need 500 milligrams of salt daily to survive. Most Americans are eating at least 10 times that amount."

The culprit? Restaurant food and prepared foods. Have you ever noticed how juicy the chicken breast at your favorite restaurant is and wonder why your home-cooked chicken never tastes that way? Well, many restaurants soak chicken breasts in salt and water all day to achieve that juiciness. "You think you've made a really healthy choice because it's low fat and low calorie, but people rarely stop to think about the salt content," Jacob says.